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A man who made false statements to Farm Credit Services of America (FCSA) pled guilty on May 9, 2017, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Michael Royster, age 52, pled guilty to making False Statements to a Production Credit Association.

In a plea agreement, Royster admitted that, in an effort to obtain more than $3 million in credit 2015, he provided FCSA falsified contracts and documents purporting to show that local cooperatives or other purchasers were storing a greater quantity of corn and soybeans than what he and his son and their entities actually had in storage. He further admitted that he also provided fake documents to FCSA in 2012 and 2013 and to Heartland Bank in 2011. The amount of unpaid principal on the loans FCSA extended to defendant and his son exceeds $1 million.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Royster remains free on bond pending sentencing. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a fine equal to or greater than twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offense or $1 million, $100 in special assessments, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Schunk and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.